From underdog to darling.
| Auteur | Gallinelli, Sven |
| Fonction | POLITICS |
At the beginning of the year, Ueli Maurer started his new job as a member of the Swiss Federal Council. About six months later, it seems he's managing his duties better than anyone expected. Even his political enemies are full of praise. Have a closer look at how the man who once provoked others until they saw red is climbing to the top of the political heap.
If you had suggested 10 years ago that Ueli Maurer would become a member of Switzerland's Federal Council, you certainly would have been laughed at. Nobody from even Maurer's own conservative, right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP) would have given him the smallest chance.
Now, in 2009, the unimaginable has happened: 57-year-old Maurer is minister of defence and sport, and therefore one of seven members of the Federal Council. And he does his job surprisingly well, as even his enemies admit.
Especially, it seems Maurer's style of leading his department is earning him many compliments. He analyses the problems of the troubled Swiss army, involves broad circles in the process and listens even to those people who have completely different political views than he does.
"I was positively surprised about his openness and spontaneity," said Simon Kuchler, a now retired but once leading figure in the Swiss army and one of its biggest critics in the last couple of years.
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Maurer knows how to listen, said Kuchler, in the Neue Luzerner Zeitung. "This is what differentiates him completely from his predecessor Samuel Schmid, who would feel insulted by the least bit of criticism."
Praise also comes from left-wing politicians. "He's acting smart," said Social Democrat and House Representative Hans Widmer from Lucerne, when asked to give an opinion about Maurer's overall performance since the beginning of the year.
Former president of the Social Democratic Party (SP) Christiane Brunner even said she and Maurer have a "close friendship". When asked about this unusual friendship between a left-wing and a rightwing politician prior to Maurer's election last December, she replied: "Ueli Maurer has humour and is an intelligent, hardworking and humble person". It must be stressed that such comments followed many political battles between Brunner and Maurer, despite their friendship.
How can it be that a member of the much-criticised SVP has quickly earned so much approval? There are two explanations. One is connected to Maurer's personality; the other has to do with the party itself and its once powerful strategist and financial backer, Christoph Blocher.
From cultivating crops to votes
First, let's take a closer look at Maurer. Born the son of a farmer in Canton Zurich, he grew up in rural surroundings. He was young when he discovered the leadership side of his personality and embraced the business of politics, first as a member of the Municipal Council in his hometown of Hinwil from 1978 until 1986, later as a member of the Cantonal Council from 1985 to 1991, and finally, from 1991 until the end of 2008 as a member of the national House of Representatives. As community politics is hardly a full-time job in Switzerland, Maurer also had to do something to earn a living-and he did it as director of the Zurich Farmer Alliance from 1994 until 2008.
But Maurer's real strengths, and destiny, were revealed when he became...
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